Berezkin Analytical Catalogue · Motif
K40 — One will be eaten today, another tomorrow.
Source data for narratives and traditions is drawn from Berezkin’s Analytical Catalogue. If you use this data, please acknowledge and link to it: Ю.Е. Березкин, Е.Н. Дувакин. Тематическая классификация и распределение фольклорно-мифологических мотивов по ареалам. Аналитический каталог.
Summary of motif
OverviewTwo (rarely more) characters consider themselves doomed to death, but the one whose death will come later rejoices, while the one whose death will come earlier grieves. Cf. motif N30.
Berezkin category: Adventures: Acts of heroes
This is of motif type Adventures and tricks and is part of group 10, Adventures.
Top 10 motifs with similar dispersal patterns
Phylogeny| Motif | Similarity | Motif summary |
|---|---|---|
| M198A1 | 99.53% | Three characters sequentially and without apparent reason determine the characteristics of an object or person they have not seen. |
| L9E | 99.42% | The anthropomorphic character has a nose resembling a copper or iron beak. |
| M39A6A | 99.22% | After a long search, the ruler finds an intelligent wife for his son. At the mercy of his enemies, he sends a message with one of them, the true content of which is understood only by his daughter-in-law. She destroys enemies and frees her father-in-law. (The boys have a younger wife instead of an intelligent daughter-in-law). |
| K110 | 98.88% | The character is asked to retrieve treasure from the bottom of a pond. He does not understand that he is only seeing a reflection and that the treasure is located above. |
| N30 | 98.86% | formula that describes the confusion of feelings: when a character looks in one direction, he cries, and when he laughs or smiles in the other direction. |
| B46A | 98.85% | One of the stars of the Pleiades was separated from the others (usually stolen by the stars of the Big Dipper and identified with Alcor). |
| M153B | 98.76% | The wolf is killed or maimed after agreeing to a domestic animal's offer to ride it. |
| K27Z4B | 98.56% | The husband leaves, meets a swindler and loses everything he has to him. The wife comes disguised as a man, punishes the swindler and rescues her husband. |
| J32E | 98.49% | Every time a mare foals, the foal is stolen. The hero finds out who is doing this. |
| K148 | 98.49% | Every night or every year, a mare gives birth to a foal, and every time someone steals it. |
See the 100 most similar distributions →
Map of motif dispersal
DistributionDrag the map to pan, use the scroll wheel to zoom — choose a texture or projection below
Traditions
19 recordedThis motif has been recorded in 19 traditions: Karelians, Tajik, Cherkassians, Adyghe, Kabardin, Karachays, Balkar, Ossetians, Ingush, Tats, Georgians, Kalmyk, Kazakh, Kazan (Middle Volga) Tatars, Eastern Khanty (Ostyaks), Buryats: Western (cis Baikal), Daur (Daghur), Tuvinians of Tuva, Tuvans, Southern Altai: Altai proper (Altai-Kiji), Telengit, Altaians, Northern Altai: Chelkan, Kumanda, Tubalar, Altaians, Udeghe, Buryats: Eastern (trans Baikal), i.e. Khori
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How to cite: Fielder-White, J. (2026). The Folklore Database. https://folkloredatabase.com
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